Assuming (as seems likely) that Brendan Rodgers will be Kenny Dalglish’s successor in the dugout at Anfield, he has a dream job that could very quickly turn into a nightmare. By taking on the job of rebuilding Liverpool into an outfit regularly finishing in the top four and challenging (if not winning) for League titles and domestic cups he has inherited a task monumental in size.

The Liverpool squad currently has potential but is still bloated and in need of recovery from last summer’s spending binge that saw £114m on players who largely failed to live up to their transfer fees. Stewart Downing failed to contribute neither a goal nor an assist in the League all season, Jordan Henderson seemed to be swamped by the pressure of playing for Liverpool, Charlie Adam contributed little after a promising start and Andy Carroll signed last winter resembled a hungover Sunday league footballer charging round the pitch like a wounded rhinoceros with little clue of how to play football. Thiat was until the fag end of the season when twice in a matter of days he embarrassed John Terry with sheer pace and strength.

Jose Enrique was a good signing for his £7m transfer fee though even he faded in the last few months, perhaps due to tiredness as Liverpool didn’t have a proper left back in reserve and he started 33 of the 38 League games. Craig Bellamy was possibly their best signing, and he was a free transfer. His pace and dynamism provided danger to defenders in an otherwise slow, often stilted side. Of course one season is not enough to judge these players and judge the spending splurge of last summer though the regression of Liverpool and its signings throughout the season must have been worrying. Henderson looked no less nervous in March than he did in August. Downing was dire all season long. Adam struggled with injury while Carroll was a peripheral figure until his barnstorming display as a substitute in the FA Cup final.

Last summer’s spending is crucial to the current state of Liverpool as those signings were supposed to form the backbone of the side for years to come. Think of how around 2004 Chelsea bought Cech, Essien, Drogba, Carvalho to form the basis of the side that in the last decade has won every trophy going. Now Chelsea could afford to whiff on a few signings like they did with Kezman, Tiago, Veron and Wright-Phillips because of Roman Abramovich’s financial muscle. Whether the Fenway Sports Group will be so willing to splash the cash again is not yet known.

If Rodgers is hired then they may well have to spend another sum close to £114m to make progress. That’s simply because Dalglish and Rodgers have completely different philosophies and tactictally are poles apart. Dalglish favoured two out and out strikers and only two central midfielders in an era when most top sides are moving to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 where teams sacrifice a central striker for an extra man in the midfield. Rarely did Liverpool play with three central midfielders with Henderson often shunted on to the wing to accommodate at first Charlie Adam and then Steven Gerrard.

The plan was seemingly to have Downing provide service to Carroll with Luis Suarez playing off him. Dalglish did this at Blackburn where Jason Wilcox and Stuart Ripley ran up and down the wings crossing balls for Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton to nod in. The personnel and style of play was distinctly British. Only Stoke and Aston Villa won more aerial battles than Liverpool last season and no side won a higher percentage of aerial battles than Liverpool.  Its’ fair to say no side managed by Brendan Rodgers has ever led aerial battles won statistics.

Rodgers’ short passing, high pressing game, the sort Spain and Barca have used to wreak havoc on their rivals in recent years has been successful as Swansea but didn’t work so well at Watford and Reading. Reading sacked him when his attempted transformation of their playing style failed miserably and saw them struggling in the Championship relegation zone. Now Rodgers will have more money and more resources at Liverpool but his failure to fundamentally change the playing style at Reading must be something for Liverpool’s owners to chew the fat over.

At Swansea his predecessors Paulo Sousa and Roberto Martinez had already created the foundations for the short passing game Rodgers loves. He didn’t have to build Swansea from scratch but merely add his own take on their approach to football. This he has done with remarkable success. But at Liverpool he won’t merely have to add little changes to create a mini-Barcelona. He’ll have to make fairly radical changes to the playing style Liverpool have utilised for the past decade and convinced seasoned internationals that he (a manager with one season in the Premier League) is worth listening to, something Roy Hodgson never appeared to do. And Hodgson has managed all around the world with a fair amount of success.

Adapting to Rodgers style of play won’t be impossible though. There are vestiges of hope that this can be pulled off. There were times last season when Liverpool did pass the ball with fizz, crackle and pop and when they looked potentially a side that could challenge the best. 82% of their passes last season were short passes (only 3% less than Swansea). They averaged 55% possession per game and had a pass success rate of 80%. This put Liverpool respectively 7^th and 8^th in the League in these statistics which without being brilliant indicates that there is plenty for Rodgers to work with.

What will worry Liverpool’s owners is how ill-suited last season’s signings are to this type of football. Andy Carroll’s pass success rate is dismally low at 60%. Of Liverpool players pass success rate Charlie Adam was 20^th completing only 79% of passes. Jordan Henderson completed only 83% of passes. Henderson and Adam were the most common partnership in central midfield for Liverpool last season and on average completed only 81% of passes. Compare this to Joe Allen and Leon Britton who were Swansea’s two central midfielders and completed on average 92% of passes attempted.

That shows that though there is talent for Rodgers to work with he still faces an uphill task to implement his footballing philosophy and also how the players that cost a fortune last summer are ill-suited to what Rodgers will require with them. Whether FSG back Rodgers with money or whether he will be forced to use Jay Spearing, Gerrard and the recovering from injury Lucas in central midfield along with Adam and Henderson will be interesting and potentially critical to Liverpool’s hopes next season.

Andre Villas-Boas failed to change Chelsea from a veteran, slow side into a fast high pressing modern side. Will Rodgers succeed with a similar transformation at Liverpool? I’m doubtful. He failed to cultivate a successful passing style when managing Reading and though he has more to work with at Liverpool he has inherited an immensely tough job. He will have more money in the transfer market than he’s ever had before, and for all the criticism Liverpool fans received at times last season they are a loyal, vociferous bunch who you’d expect to support Rodgers and not turn on him after a couple of bad results. Even with Hodgson it took a dozen or so games ad Liverpool to be in the relegation zone for fans to turn on him.

Liverpool is a great club with great history and great potential. But its been a distinctly mediocre club the last three season and a manager with verve, great man-management skills, tactical awareness and the ability to win over fans and people in the boardroom is necessary.

I wish Brendan Rodgers the best of luck if he takes over at Liverpool. He’s going to need it.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On Tuesday newly-promoted Reading announced that Thames Sports Investment has completed a 51 per cent buyout of the club. The new owners, led by Russian businessman Anton Zingarevich, are rumoured to be ready to spend the required revenue to help the Royals compete in the English top-flight, and ensure their return to the big time is not on a temporary basis. Despite this, the acquisition brings an end to John Madejski’s 22-year reign as proprietor of the club – so what can Reading fans expect from their new owners?

Although the deal for TSI and Zingarevich to take over the club was only made official on Tuesday, the takeover has been in the offing for quite some time now. The eastern European entrepreneur had agreed to buy the leading stake in the club back in January, with a deal also being on the brink of occurring in March. However, with Reading’s promotion push, eventual Championship title win and football litigation and red tape, the deal is only being completed now.

Fans of the outfit will be pleased to know that Madejski will remain in a senior capacity within the club, and now assumes the role of chairman, despite Zingarevich, Christopher Samuelson, Andrew Obolensky and chief executive Nigel Howe all taking their places on the Royals board. Any takeover can take time to work, so the fact that the previous owner and Ian Wood-Smith still have roles to play will ensure that the club are not starting afresh.

Speculation in the press has indicated that Reading boss Brian McDermott will be given a £15 million transfer kitty this summer to add quality to his squad, which would be more than welcome in the side’s quest to stay in the Premier League. It is believed that Zingarevich is also formulating a long-term plan for the club, with the stadium capacity and upgrades into the academy and training facilities also high on the businessman’s list.

For a football club owner Zingarevich is very young at 30 years old. The Russian is the son of a billionaire paper tycoon and as such is expected to have the finances to back the club’s Premier League ambitions. He paid £25 million for the 51 per cent share of Reading, which shows his intent to spend money. Of his fellow Thames Sports Investment colleagues, new board members Samuelson and Obolensky are financial experts, and will have the role of making sure that Reading can spend money when needed but not live beyond their means.

Despite the fact that he is losing full control of the club that he loves, Madejski has confirmed that the takeover will allow the club to progress without changing the principles and procedures that he has taken the time to put in place.

“It is the end of one era, but the start of another,” the 71-year-old entrepreneur admitted after the takeover.

“It’s exciting times. Now we can really start getting on with things – it’s great. The club will be run in the same way and it’s business as usual.

“It feels great getting this done having been here for 22 years and coming from Elm Park. However, it’s not about me, it’s about the club and all the people who work here and support Reading.

“I’m delighted to be staying on as chairman and I’ll be doing that until at least 2014.”

Newly-promoted clubs have a real job on their hands to stay in the English top flight, but if Zingarevich is smart and wants the club to remain where they are, he will back his manager financially and leaves major decisions down to football men. Swansea and Norwich will act as inspiration for Reading in their survival bid, with McDermott keeping the core of the team that got them to the Premier League. Despite this, the club now have added investment that the likes of West Ham and Southampton, and some existing Premier League clubs, are likely to do without. One thing is for sure; it is an exciting time to be a Reading fan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Highly-rated Lille attacking midfielder Eden Hazard has revealed that he is ready to join Chelsea next season, despite interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City. The Belgium international has been a leading light for the Ligue 1 outfit over the last 24 months, and will move to Stamford Bridge in a £32 million deal once the transfer window reopens. It had looked for all money that Hazard would end up at one of the Manchester clubs next season, however as the Old Trafford and Etihad Stadium outfits toiled in their pursuit, Chelsea acted swiftly to assure the playmaker’s signature.

Roman Abramovich has reportedly dealt with the transfer personally, stepping in to orchestrate the deal in the absence of a full-time manager. Both Manchester clubs, especially United, will be rueing their lack of urgency in trying to complete a deal for the starlet, and Hazard’s move to Chelsea will act as a warning that next term will not be the two-horse race for the title that 2011-12 became.

Chelsea may well have won the Champions League this term, but the Blues have come under criticism for their negative style of play and lack of attacking intent. This is being remedied in the transfer market, with Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Marko Marin all on board for next term. All three players will challenge for a first-team spot, and give the side options of attacking midfielders that can change a game. Hazard’s arrival will make Chelsea a different proposal next term, as their traditionally direct approach could well be given some panache by the skill and creativity of the Belgian alongside Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge.

Next on the Blues’ hitlist is a new big-name striker to complete their attacking overhaul, replace Didier Drogba and compete with Fernando Torres for a starting berth. Hulk is been linked with a £30 million move, and would provide the strength in depth necessary for Chelsea to challenge next term. If the Porto man’s acquisition is not sealed a raft of other big-money pretenders have also been earmarked, including Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani.

Hazard’s capture shows Chelsea’s intent to get back into title contention, and the Belgian superstar will not be the last new face to join the Stamford Bridge club this summer. The final jigsaw piece for Chelsea to really get back into the mix is a new permanent manager, with Roberto Di Matteo’s heroics in delivering a Champions League and FA Cup double seemingly not enough to get him the position on a full-time basis.

The fact that Di Matteo has not already been confirmed as the club’s full-time manager is bewildering given the Italian trainer’s rejuvenation of the side since replacing Andre Villas-Boas. Abramovich is obviously biding his time to get a bigger and more experienced name into the Stamford Bridge hotseat, however who exactly this will be is yet to be seen.

One has to wonder however what will get the next Chelsea manager more than one season in charge and satisfy Abramovich’s ambition; Di Matteo has won the Champions League and is not being given a second term. With Hazard’s signing and the continued expenditure on the playing squad, the expectations on the next Chelsea manager will be monumental. The next Blues boss may well have quite the squad at his disposal, but the weight of expectancy attached to the role means there is very little room for error in as competitive a Premier League as there has been in some time.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Vicente del Bosque has the task of bringing home a third straight international tournament success this summer, with the triumphs at Euro 2008 and in the 2010 World Cup meaning Spain are favourites for this year’s Euro 2012. The successful trainer has named his squad for the tournament in Ukraine and Poland, with a raft of star names included. However, with David Villa injured, Del Bosque’s selection in attack was sure to be interesting, and one name is surprisingly omitted: Roberto Soldado.

Goalkeepers

• Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool)

The reigning world champions have an embarrassment of riches between the sticks, with one of the game’s best in the form of Iker Casillas set to lead the side. However, if something unforeseen should happen to the Real Madrid stopper, Valdes and Reina are more than able deputies.

Defenders

• Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanfran Torres (Atletico Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)

With Carles Puyol injured, it will be interesting to see just who Del Bosque picks to fill the experienced Barcelona man’s boots. The personnel and shape of the defence will depend on where Sergio Ramos is deployed, with the Santiago Bernabeu man’s versatility of playing either on the right or in the centre an attribute. Ramos is likely to play in the centre alongside Gerard Pique, but Del Bosque could also use him at right-back, and partner the Camp Nou man with Javi Martinez. Jordi Alba looks a shoe-in at left-back.

Midfielders

• Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Santi Cazorla (Malaga), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Mata (Chelsea)

With only four strikers selected in the contingent and the sheer quality of the players listed above, it is likely that Spain will play with five in midfield, with a 4-5-1 formation without the ball quickly changing to a 4-3-3 whilst in possession. Xabi Alonso and Xavi are certainties in the centre of the park when fit, and they may well be joined by either Cesc Fabregas or Sergio Busquets, depending on whether Del Bosque wants to keep it tight or include an extra attacking player. David Silva and Andres Iniesta may well start from wide areas, but look to get space in-field and provide chances. Santi Cazorla could be used if Spain look for width and delivery.

Attackers

• Pedro (Barcelona), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao)

Likely to be one of four in attack, however Pedro could also be used as a supporting striker. Negredo, Torres or Llorente will be charged with finishing the chances created by the mercurial midfield maestros, which should be plentiful. After the Sevilla man’s season of injuries and Torres’ torrid time at Stamford Bridge, the omission of Roberto Soldado is surprising to say the least. The Valencia marksman has continued to progress this season at the Mestalla, and was for some (including myself) the pick of the available forwards to fill David Villa’s shoes. Atletico Madrid’s Adrian also missed out.

Del Bosque’s squad is dominated by World Cup winners, Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars and has extraordinary depth. Spain rightly go into the competition as frontrunners, however it will be interesting who gets the nod up front and given the task of firing La Roja to their third consecutive glorious campaign.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Who are the all-time top goalscorers in the Premier League? Which Premier League players have scored 100 goals or more? Who has scored the most goals in each Premier League season? And who is the top Premier League scorer this season?

Below we’ve answered all of the above questions – all players in the Premier League 100 club, the golden boot winners from previous Premier League seasons and the goalscoring charts from the most recent (2011/2012) Premier League season.

The top five Premier League goal scorers get their own little write up and a link to video of their goals. Everyone outside of that gets just their name, the clubs they played and scored for (or club, in the case of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Matt LeTissier) and, of course, their total number of Premier League goals.

You can also jump directly to the Premier League Golden Boot winners and Most Premier League goals this season sections.

All Time Premier League Top GoalScorers

	ALAN SHEARER	260 EPL GOALS
	Blackburn (1992-1996), Newcastle (1996-2006)

Alan Shearer, OBE, was born on 13th August 1970. Having started his career at Southampton, he went on to become one of the most prolific scorers of all time with Blackburn and his beloved Newcastle.

Great in the air, predatory from close range and deadly from distance, Shearer was at one time the complete striker. A series of knee injuries robbed him of some pace, but Shearer adapted his game in his later years and continued to find the net.

After the first ten years of the Premier League, Shearer was named as the outstanding player of the decade. He is also listed in the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers.

Shearer played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals. He captained the side on 34 occasions.

Now working as a pundit on BBC television’s Match of the Day, Shearer had a brief spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008/9, when he took charge for the last eight games but was unable to save the club from relegation.

Alan Shearer GOALS

	ANDY COLE	187 EPL GOALS
	Newcastle (1993-95), Manchester Utd (1995-2001), Blackburn (2001-04), Fulham (2004-05), Man City (2005-06), Portsmouth (2006-07), Birmingham (2007), Sunderland (2007-08)

Andy Cole, or Andrew Cole, as he now prefers to be called was born on 15th October 1971. He began his career with Arsenal, but played just one game before moving to Bristol City. His goal scoring exploits for The Robins caught the attention of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, who signed the striker in 1993. Cole partnered Peter Beardsley, won the First Division and continued scoring in the Premier League for he following two seasons.

He was sold controversially to Manchester United in 1995, where he went on to achieve huge success. He was the top scorer in Europe for United in the treble winning season of 1998-99, a season in which he and Dwight Yorke contributed 53 goals between them overall. Cole scored the goal that won the Premier League title, and the goal that took them to the Champions League final. He has five Premier League winners medals, one Champions League winners medal and two FA Cup winners medals.

Since leaving United Cole has played at Blackburn, Fulham, Mancheser City, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Sunderland, without quite recapturing his best goal scoring form. Cole finished his career with a loan move to Burnley and a brief spell at Nottingham Forest before retiring in 2008.

Cole was awarded the PFA Young player of the year award in 1994, and played 15 games for Engand, scoring just one goal.

Andy Cole GOALS

	THIERRY HENRY	176 EPL GOALS
	Arsenal (1999-2007), Arsenal (2012)

Thierry Henry was born on 17th August 1977. He moved to Arsenal after a relatively successful career in France and Italy, but was regarded by many as an overrated wide player. Arsene Wenger converted Henry to be a striker and the rest, as they say, is history. Pacy, classy, goalscoring history.

Henry’s goals won the Premier League twice for Arsenal, including the 30 league goals he scored as Arsenal’s famous Invincibles went the entire 2003/4 season unbeaten. Henry was twice awarded the PFA Players Player of the Year award, and also won the Football Writers Player of the Year award on two occasions.

For France, Henry scored 51 goals in 123 appearances and has World Cup and European Championship winners medals.

Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, where he won La Liga, the Champions League, Copa Del Rey and the Club World Cup. He currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Henry made an emotional loan return to Arsenal in January 2012, playing for 7 weeks and scoring a few crucial goals, including 2 in the league.

Thierry Henry GOALS

	ROBBIE FOWLER	163 EPL GOALS
	Liverpool (1993-2001), Leeds Utd (2001-03), Manchester City (2003-06), Liverpool (2006-07), Blackburn (2008)

Robbie Fowler was born on 9th April 1975. He grew up in Toxteth, a rough area of Liverpool, and went on to become one of the best players ever to represent the Reds. In 1995 and 1996 he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Renowned for his natural finishing ability, in 1994 Fowler scored three times in 4 minutes, 33 seconds against Arsenal, still the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history. His goal scoring exploits were always matched by the controversy surrounding him. He was particularly criticised when after scoring a goal he pretended to snort the paint from the six yard line, following rumours of a cocaine addiction. Presenting his backside to Graeme Le Saux, rumoured to be gay, was also an episode that Fowler should not be proud of.

Fowler left Liverpool for Leeds United and then Manchester City, but was back at Anfield for one more year in 2006/7. Fowler went on to play for Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Australia in 2009, where he played a season for North Queensland Fury before moving to current club Perth Glory.

Fowler played 26 times for England scoring 7 goals.

Robbie Fowler GOALS

	LES FERDINAND	149 EPL GOALS
	Queens Park Rangers (1992-95), Newcastle (1995-97), Tottenham (1997-2003), West Ham (2002-03), Leicester (2003-04), Bolton (2004-05)

Les Ferdinand, MBE, was born on 8th December 1966. He began his career scoring goals galore for lower league Hayes, and continued to do so wherever he went. His first big move was to top flight Queens Park Rangers, where he spent eight years banging in goals from 1987 to 1995 before earning a high profile move to Newcastle United. On Tyneside, Ferdinand developed a frightening strike partnership with Alan Shearer.

Like Shearer, Ferdinand was the complete package. Fast, strong, deadly in front of goal, and absolutely unbeatable in the air. After two years at Newcastle he moved on to Tottenham, where he spent six successful years before playing for West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading.

Ferdinand was awarded the PFA players player award in 1996 and scored 5 goals for England gaining 17 caps.

Les Ferdinand GOALS

	MICHAEL OWEN	149 EPL GOALS
	Liverpool (1996-2004), Newcastle (2005-09), Man United (2009-12)

Michael James Owen was born on 14th December, 1979 in Chester, England. He is the son of a former forward of the 1970s, Terry Owen.

Michael Owen began his youth career in Liverpool in 1991. He progressed through the ranks and on his debut with the senior team in 1997, he scored. In his first full season in the English Premier League, he finished the season as the joint top-scorer with 18 goals.

Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and the Football League Cup and Owen was awarded the Ballon d’Or. He went on to score 118 goals for the Reds in the Premier League.

In 2004, Owen moved to Real Madrid and was frequently used as a substitute. The following season, he returned to England to Newcastle United with the highest goals scored to number of minutes played ration in Spain.

He scored another 26 Premier League goals for Newcastle until he was picked up as a back-up striker by Alex Ferguson. To this day, he plays for Manchester United.

Michael Owen GOALS

Rest of the EPL 100 Club

2011-12 Premier League Topscorers

Golden Boot winners

The following table is a list of winners of the Premier League Golden Boot per season, detailing their club, goal tally, actual games played, and their strike rate (goals/games).

Key to symbols:

      ^† – denotes the award was shared that season
      ^C – denotes the club were also League Champions that season
      ^E – denotes the player also won the European Golden Shoe that season
      (x) – denotes multiple winners of the award and their running total
 

 
NOTE #1: Teddy Sheringham scored his first goal of the 1992–93 season as a Nottingham Forest player, while the remainder were scored for Tottenham Hotspur following his transfer in August 1992.
NOTE #2: From the 1995–96 season onwards, the Premier League was reduced from 22 teams to 20, reducing the number of games in a league season from 42 to 38.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In eighteen days’ time, Euro 2012 will start. Twenty three days of international tournament football, with matches being played almost every day for the twenty-three day duration. If you didn’t know or understand football supporters you may think that there wouldn’t be much interest. I mean the club season started in July and in late May we still have two playoff finals to take place. International football is plainly not of the quality or excitement of modern club football. Also this season we’ve had the most dramatic Premier League finale in decades, a captivating Champions League and amazing matches and goals. You’d think fans were footballed out.

Is this true though? In my case anyway, not at all. I think World Cups and European Championships are wonderful and the actual football that takes place is only part of it. It all starts the week before.  Special previews in the papers, magazines do special editions, podcasts pop up from summer hibernation. Lots and lots of build-up. Lots of talk about new players to terrestrial TV screens who in days of yore you’d never have heard of but now, in this age of Football Manager and millions of TV channels you nod sagely at talk of Oliver Giroud’s breakout season for Montpellier, Christian Eriksen being Denmark’s new wonderkid and Jose Bosingwa’s self-imposed exile from the Portuguese team.

Then you get the wall charts. Most offices and work places I’ve seen have these. I remember once at school going to see some IT technicians over some petty computer problem I had and seeing a World Cup wall chart where Uruguay was spelt ‘Uraguay’. I found that symbolic for what it must be like to be an IT technician at a secondary school. I also at the last World Cup plonked one on the wall of the upstairs toilet in my house. I filled in the results while having my early morning dump

The group stages are the best. This is because you get two or three games a day. Having football around the clock I find is great. If you don’t like football and live with people who like football I can imagine how loathed and feared having constant football for days on end can be. But I always abide by the principle that any football is better than no football at all. You may not always watch football but as long as there’s football to be read, analysed and discussed I’m happy.

The World Cup was great in that respect because in 2010 at least you had games kicking off at lunchtime. I’d occasionally watch games in my school’s sixth form common room before afternoon lessons. On one occasion I put £5 on North Korea to beat Portugal at 10/1. When I stopped watching late in the 1^st half it was only 1-0 Portugal. Then in my lesson we were watching a film and someone in my class was given the job of updating us World Cup watchers with the score. By the time we were halfway through the film North Korea had lost 7-0 and my friends were in hysterics. The mockery was much worse than the lost £5.

Having constant football to watch and talk about is the main reason why I love World Cups and European Championships. I may be showing a shocking lack of ambition by having little desire to do anything other than watch football monotonously for weeks on end, but sod it it’s not as if I want to do anything else.  I even quit the subject of Economics while doing my A-Levels earlier than I was supposed to in the last World Cup. Partly because I was planning to quit it anyway but mainly because I wanted to watch Argentina-South Korea one afternoon and the match was on while I was supposed to be in an Economics lesson drawing endless supply and demand graphs I didn’t understand. I can still remember playing football at lunchtime and then watching the 2^nd half of Argentina-South Korea to see a couple of super Higuain goals and thinking all was right with the world.

Football on the TV doesn’t make you meet new people you’d rather avoid, laugh at you for not having a spouse, chide you for your lack of social life or lack of enthusiasm for dubstep and modern fashion trends. Neither do wall charts or special edition podcasts or discussions about the cracking goal Russia’s left winger scored the previous night. The more reassuring wall charts and live matches on BBC1 and constant football chat, the better as far as I’m concerned.

I’m not even enormously bothered if the football is shite. The last World Cup for example was dreadful. I remember using the World Cup as a motivating tool to work through my AS level exams (the other motivation tool was finding every episode of Twin Peaks for free on the internet and watching two of those a day) and there were about two good games in a month of football. But given that I got a month of constant football I wasn’t complaining. And when the football is good like it was at Euro 2008, the better. I remember Turkey’s miraculous comebacks and Turks in my part of North London beeping horns and having parties at their native country’s successes.

I guess the negatives are that there is an uncomfortable stench of jingoism and patriotism when England are involved. Samuel Johnson once said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, and he wasn’t wrong. The England team give a mouthpiece to a minority of idiots (known as ‘England fans’) who don’t know what they’re talking about and can be nastily aggressive if you aren’t some flag toting national anthem singing stooge. There’s more chance of George Osborne renouncing capitalism and condoning Keynesian economic policies than some drunken loon with little flags of St George painted on his face not belting out some horribly nationalistic, probably anti-German chant.

Obviously FIFA and UEFA do their best to ruin tournaments by doing little less than pillaging the country or countries hosting the tournament. They demand new stadia that are not necessary and quickly become white elephants. They are ferocious in the manner of a totalitarian government on sponsorship and marketing issues. Tickets scandalously go to corporate people who’ve done nothing their whole lives except lick arse and screw people out of money and get rewarded for this with seats situated on the halfway line for the Euro 2012 final. They grant tournaments to countries who imprison political opponents (Ukraine and Russia) and to Qatar where it’s so hot they don’t have natural grass, and where they see homosexuality as a criminal offence. Money is God.

If I was more conscientious and more politically minded I’d possibly boycott and protest these tournaments and their injustices. But to protest against one thing, that would start a snowball effect of loads of other things I should protest about and I’d end up unable to do or watch anything. All football has injustices with its governance somewhere down the line. And well, I want to watch football.

I want to watch football. In my life that’s largely what I do. And with World Cups or the upcoming European Championships, all football fans will have the chance to watch more and more football. And thank god we have the opportunity to do so starting on June the 8^th.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The FA have slapped QPR midfielder Joey Barton with a 12-match ban following the temperamental midfielder’s sending off against Manchester City on the last day of the Premier League season. The Loftus Road captain is the latest in a long line of players to feel the wrath of the authorities; here are the top football bans in recent times.

Joey Barton – 12 matches

After being shown a red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez, Barton was found guilty of trying to knee Sergio Aguero and head-butt Vincent Kompany. These additional two charges of violent conduct, added to the dismissal, have resulted in a 12-match ban for the former Newcastle man, and put his career at the London club at risk.

Eric Cantona – nine months

The mercurial French attacker was given a nine-month worldwide ban from the game in 1995 after his famed kung-fu kick on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons at Selhurst Park. The Manchester United forward was also ordered to complete 120 hours of community service after the shocking act.

Paolo Di Canio – 11 matches

Fiery Sheffield Wednesday forward Paolo Di Canio was on the sidelines for 11 matches after pushing referee Paul Alcock to the ground in September 1998. After being dismissed in a league fixture against Arsenal, the Italian pushed the official to the deck, and was also handed a £10,000 fine for the act of petulance.

Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner – 10 matches

Keegan and Bremner were both on the sidelines for 10 matches after coming to blows in the 1974 Charity Shield between Liverpool and Leeds. The pair were involved in a fight on the hour mark of the game, and both dismissed.

David Prutton – ten matches

Southampton man David Prutton was given a ten-match ban for shoving referee Alan Wiley after his dismissal against Arsenal in the Premier League in 2005. The Saints midfielder was also handed out a £6,000 fine.

Paul Davis – nine matches

The Arsenal midfielder was given a nine-match ban for punching Glenn Cockerill in October 1998, breaking the Southampton man’s jaw. Davis was sent off and ordered to pay a £3,000 fine by the FA.

Billy Cook – 12 month ban

The Middlesbrough player was banned for a year in 1915 when he refused to leave the field of play after being sent off against Oldham; the game had to be abandoned with 35 minutes remaining.

Mark Bosnich – Seven months

The Australian goalkeeper was banned for seven months after testing positive for cocaine in 2003. Chelsea terminated his contract after the scandal.

Rio Ferdinand – eight months

The Manchester United defender failed to show up for a drugs test and was duly handed an eight match ban in September 2003.

Luis Suarez – eight matches

The Liverpool forward was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in a Premier League clash between the two in October 2011. After a drawn-out investigation the FA handed down an eight-match ban for the Uruguay international and gave him a £40,000 fine.

Edgar Davids and Jaap Stam – four months

The Juventus midfielder and Lazio defender had their bans for testing positive for banned substance nandrolone reduced from five months to four months in May 2001 and January 2002 respectively.

Dean Windass – six matches

The Aberdeen striker was effectively sent off three times in the first-half of a 5-0 defeat to Dundee United in 1997. Windass was dismissed for two bookable offences, abused the referee and ripped out a corner flag in the SPL fixture.

Roy Keane – five weeks

The aggressive Manchester United midfielder was handed a five-week ban in October 2002 for comments made in his autobiography concerning Alfie Inge Haaland. The Irishman was also fined £150,000.

Vinnie Jones – six months

The Wimbledon midfielder and now movie star Jones was handed a six-month ban in November 1992 and fined £20,000 for his comments glorifying football violence.

Ben Thatcher – eight matches

The Manchester City defender was banned for eight matches after a sickening elbow on Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes. The Portuguese midfielder was knocked out cold and suffered a seizure after Thatcher’s challenge in August 2006.

Joey Barton – 12 matches (again)

Barton was given a 12 match ban, later six of which were suspended, for assaulting Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo in training. Barton was charged with assault, given a four-month suspended jail sentence and fined £25,000.

Kolo Toure – six months

The Manchester City central defender was given a six-month suspension for failing a drugs test in March 2011. The Ivory Coast international later claimed that he has taken one of his wife’s diet pills.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

FIFA 13 captures all the drama and unpredictability of real-world football, and is driven by five game-changing innovations which revolutionize artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control and physical play. It is the largest and deepest feature set in the history of the franchise. These innovations create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, deliver freedom and creativity in attack, and capture all the drama and unpredictability of the real-world game.

Attacking Intelligence:
Players have the ability to analyse space, work harder and smarter to break down the defense, and think two plays ahead. Plus, players make runs that pull defenders out of position and open passing channels for teammates.

Complete Dribbling:
Face your opponent and use precise dribble touches combined with true 360-degree mobility with the ball. Be more creative and dangerous in 1v1 opportunities.

1st Touch Control:
A new system transforms the way players control the ball, eliminating near-perfect touch for every player, and creating more opportunities for defenders to capitalise on errant balls and poor touches to win back possession.

More to come soon.

FIFA 13 Screenshots

Image 1 of 7

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On the back of a successful season that saw them achieve their highest ever Premier League finish, West Brom have reduced ticket prices in a bid to help the local community afford to watch live football matches and to encourage families and young fans to attend more games.

West Bromwich Albion have reduced all adult season tickets by £50 and knocked up to £70 off the cost of seats for youngsters. This is especially impressive considering that other clubs with outstanding seasons have all looked to increase ticket prices across the board. Man City, Reading, Swansea, Fulham and Norwich are all clubs that have hiked prices to either match demand or to bring ticket prices in line with ‘Premier League pricing’.

And unlike a few other Premier League clubs, Albion has little local pressure to drop prices. WBA’s 23,622 home allocation was 96% fully subscribed last season, and with the season ticket price cuts and the club on a stable footing in the league, WBA is likely to attract more fans now, especially from a younger generation.

In fact the club is mindful of the fact that they have a responsibility to help people in an area that has been particularly hard hit economically, and to also capitalise on their Premier League status by reaching out to local fans and making up for lost time when, in their words, a generation of supporters was lost.

Mike Jenkins, the Albion chief executive:

“I think our season-ticket prices for this season were already very competitive given our location and the size of the stadium, particularly when you look at our rivals, but we felt that we could still do more in the current climate.

There’s no doubt that youth unemployment is a very big issue at present. I’m a parent and I know full well that for teenagers and those in their early twenties even finding part-time employment is tough, never mind a full-time job. As a result we’ve really tried to focus on them and to focus on juniors too. In many ways that is the single biggest motivation behind our pricing strategy – to secure the next generation of fans.

Having talked with the consultation group, to season-ticket holders and supporters, it’s clear we lost a large number of a whole generation of fans between 1986 and 2002, primarily because we were out of the top division and struggling in that period but also because there were very harsh economic times in this area. If you look at the make-up of our crowd, there is definitely a weighting towards people from around 40 and older, and that reflects that period in time when we failed to attract as many new fans as we should have.”

West Brom Ticket Prices for 2012/2013

Albion have taken the unprecedented step of cutting season tickets by big margins, with the exception of the over-60s category where prices are frozen. All adult season tickets are down by £50, the Under-18 discount has been extended to Under-21s, where prices are reduced by up to £70, and the Under-16 discount has been extended to Under-17s, where prices are reduced by up to £30. Mark Jenkins, Albion’s chief executive, said: “We are hopeful this will lead to more young fans and families attending our home matches.”

Figures in full: Season-ticket prices reduced 11.3% for adults, frozen for over 60s, reduced 17.6% for U21s/U18s, reduced 14.98% for U17s/U16s renewing before 1 June (adults £349-£449, Over 60s £269-£329, U21s £199-£299, U17s £99-£139). Matchday prices: tbc.

Source: Guardian.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

David Villa has been ruled out of Spain’s Euro 2012 campaign, leaving Spain without their all-time record goalscorer. The onus will now fall on the likes of Llorente and of course Torres to step up to the plate and help Spain defend their European Championship crown.

The Barcelona forward has failed to prove his fitness to the head coach, Vicente del Bosque, after fracturing his tibia while in action for the Catalan side at the World Club Challenge in Japan in December.

Del Bosque had promised to give the 30-year-old until the last moment to get himself ready but, with his squad set to be named on Sunday, he has called time on Villa’s race to be fit.

A statement on the Spanish Football Federation’s official website on Tuesday night read:

“David Villa cannot definitely be on the list for Euro 2012.

“Villa spoke with the national team doctor this afternoon after the arrival of the team in the Austrian town of Schruns.

“After not getting in the final practice and development desired, David Villa spoke with Del Bosque, who relayed that although it was Villa’s wish to be with the team in Poland and Ukraine, that his physical state was ‘not as good’ as would be desirable.”

Spain will announce their Euro 2012 squad on Sunday.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News